Tobacco-cutter



(No Model.)v l

' J, S. BEACH..

f TOBAGGOYGUTTER. No. 271,768. Pate ed Feb.6,18=83;

I 'I (im: Il f J2e Ill' Jig. 2. y

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT Farce..

JOHN S. BEACH, OF .ZANESVILLE ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN B. COCHRAN, OE MCCONNELSVILLE, OHIO.

To BAoCo-cuTTeR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,768, dated` I l .Y Application led October 1S, 1882; (No model.)

February 6,: 18.83.

To all whom il may] concern: i

Beit known that I, JOHN S. BEACH, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Zanesville, in the county of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usef'ul Improvements in.'Iohacco-Gutters; .and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

i is

exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others'skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form .a part -of this specification.

My invention relates to im provemeuts in niachines for cutting plug-tobacco'into suitable or desirablelengths; and it consists in certain details of construction hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the linexm of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view. Fig. 3 is a plan; view of the under side of the knife detached from the machine.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the Iiigures of the drawings.`

A is the main casting or frame of the machine, and is mounted on a suitable base, B, of wood or metal, or may be screwed or otherwise attached to the counter or other convenient place. The 'main casting or frame A is by preference made in one piece, of the form shown, and is composed of two sides, a a', connected at the bottom by a base-plate, b, at the `top by the cross-piece b', and at the front by the cross-piece U. Two inwardly-projecting flanges, c c c c, on each side of the main casting orv frame, form the cavity orguide H for the reception of the plug of tobacco to be cut. Instead of the flanges c c, partition-strips extending entirely across the frame may be used to form the holder or guide for the material to be operated upon; but ordinarily the flanges will answer every purpose and tend to lighten the frame and reduce the cost of manufacturing the machines. The `frame A is also provided with grooves d-,one on each side of the framefor the reception of the knife or cutter D, and inwhich the knife is free to move back and forth. The frame A is further provided with lugs or guides d'-one on each sidefor holding or guiding the gage-'plate E, which gages with teeth g, secured to the upper side ot' 4 the knife-blade, and by which the knife is moved back and forth in the ways d, as may be desired, to operate `ou the plug lto be sev- 4ered or cut into suitable or desirable lengths.l The knife D, together with the teeth or cogs g, is by preference castin onepiece of steel, but may be made in separate pieces and secured together vin any desirable manner.

G is an adjustable ejector or pnsh-plate, secured to the under side ofthe knife by means of a set-screw, 7L, working in the slot z'. The o'lce of said ejector or push-plate is to push or eject the'portion of tobacco cut from the plug out Vot' the machine, or to push it over so that it will fall out at the front ofthe machine.

E is the gage-plate, which in this instance is struck up 7 out of sheet mwemtal, but may be made of WoodA or other suitable material. The front portion of the gage-plate E is pro'- vvided with steps or offsets lo k, which, when brought directly under the compartmentH, which holds the plug, determines the length of the piece to be severed. The gage-plate' E is provided at its rear end with a strap-spring or spring handle, I, by which the plate is moved back and forth on the base-plate b and quired position-as, for example, a set'screw` passing through the sides of the frame and adapted to impinge on the sido of the gageplate.

Instead of having the gageplate ad j ustable,

I may have it cast with the frame A, or otherwise rigidly secured to the base. When such construction is preferred I `makeseveral pockets or cavities, H, in the frame for holding the tobacco, so that by placing the plug in IOO e Y v 271,76

any one ofthe cavities a piece of tobacco corresponding with the depth of the gage-plate will be se\jered from the plug. I

The operation of my machine will be obvious to any one skilled in the art vto which it appertains. The plug of tobacco to be out is placed in the cavityH, with its lower end resting on the gage-plate E. The handle F is now depressed or brought from a vertical to a horizontal position, and the knife is pushed forward in the ways duntil the plug is severed and the push-bar or ejector has pushed the severed portion out of the machine. When the handle F is again raised to a vertical position the knife is drawn back, which allows the plug of tobacco lo drop by its own weight down onto the gage-plate andin position to be again acted upon by the knife.

I am aware that vegetable-cutters have been constructed with a hopper for holding the ma# terial to be cut and a knife adapted to reciprocate beneath the hopper to cut the material into thin strips, with adjusting devices for regulating the thickness of the particlescut off.

ing knife, carrying` on its under surface the adjustable pusher and means for adjusting said pusher, as set forth.

2. The combination of the vertical hopper H' with the horizontal reciprocating knife D, oarrying directly onnits under surface the'pushe'r G, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOHN S. BEACH.

Witnesses:

ROBERT H. MCFARLAND THos. BROWN. 

